Process for treating seeds



Patented Au 8, 1939 I 'umrao STATES PATENT OFFICE raocnss ron manure sees. Bums, rune-as. AND noors George Edward Heyl, Mill Hill," London,

' England v No Drawing. Application February 26, 1 938,.Se I {$16 No.192,889. In- Great Britain July 2,

. 4 Claims. (01. 47-53) This invention relates to the treatment of towhite flowers or to effect a change in colour seeds, bulbs, tubers and.roots and more particas regards coloured flowers or to afiect the colourularly the seeds, bulbs, tubers and roots of the and perfume of the saidflowers. The organic floriierous type and has for its object to providedye may be tartrazine or violet R. S. (Coomassie) 5 an improved methodof treating these and a or other suitable or desired organic dye and the5 coating medium for use therein whichis adapted organic compound whichproduces or alters the to impart colour or colour and smell to theflowperfume may be ionone or a member of the terers produced therefromor to effect a change in pene series orpther suitableor desired organiccolour and smell of the flowers produced from compound. The preservedlatex which forms 1 lo the said seeds, bulbs, tubers and roots. thebasis of the coating medium may be con- In the specificationaccompanying British Letsidered as forming a carrier for the addedorters Patent No. $48,849 granted to me there is ganic dye or for theadded organic dye and the described a method of treating seeds, bulbsand added organic compound the smell or perfume tubers consisting inapplying thereto a coating changing compound being incorporated with theof preserved latex containing one or more than organic dye in thepreserved latex or incor- 15 one fertiliser, to which a fungicide may beadded porated separately in preserved latex and apif desired, the objectbeing to assist the growth plied therewith as a second coating after theof the plant from the seeds, bulbs, tubers or first coating which isintended to aifect the colroots under treatment and to protect the plantour or vice versa. The latex carrier may be 30 against disease andattack by insect life and rubber latex (Hevea bmsiliensis) gutta perchabacteria. That is to say the specification of or guayule or other latexor synthetic rubber. the aforesaid patent relates firstly to the addi-For example, the carrier or basis of the coating tion of fertiliser bymeans of a coating containmedium may be an aqueous dispersion of rubbering the fertiliser to the seeds, bulbs, tubers or -natural or syntheticof any desired concentraroots under treatment in order to obviate thetion or an artificially prepared aqueous disper- 25 necessityoi usingstable and other manures; and sion of rubber natural or synthetic.secondly it deals with the protection of plants It will be readilyappreciated that it is of great against insect life-and bacteria byincorporatimportance to guard against putreiacti'on of the ingfungicides, insecticides and the like in the latex and the termpreserved latex as used in coating medium by which the seeds, bulbs,tubers this specification means latex to which sufli- 30 or roots aretreated. cient preservative medium has been added to According to thepresent invention a method prevent, for all practical purposes, thelatex goof treating'seeds, bulbs, tubers and roots coning bad'. It maybe mentioned that the coating sists in applying one or more than onecoating mediumshould be made up preferably from di- 5 of preserved latexor synthetic .rubber containlute latex which may be prevented fromputreing an organic dye which is noninjurious to fying by the additionof a suitable alkali, for explant life in order to alter the colour oithe ample, an alkali re-acting salt, such as sodium flowers producedtherefrom. The method furor potassium di-phosphate. The use of dilutether consists in applying one or morethan one latex is of some littleimportance due to the fact 40 coating of preserved latex or syntheticrubber that if a too concentrated latex is used the coat- 40 containingan organic dye and an organic coming forms a somewhat thick skin aroundthe pound both of which are noninjurious to plant seed or the like whichis apt to retard the germilife, the said coating being applied to theseeds, nation and growth. bulbs, tubers and roots in order to alter thecolour In order to grow coloured flowers or plants or and perfume of theflowers produced therefrom. to change the normal colour of flowers or"plants, 45 A coating medium for use in treating seeds, a dye of anorganic nature selectively chosen for bulbs, tubers and roots of plantsis provided comthe purpose is incorporated directly in the preprisingpreserved rubber-latex or synthetic rubserved latex or the coating ofsynthetic rubber ber having incorporated therein an organic dye which isapplied to the seeds, bulbs, tubers or or an organic dye and an organiccompound roots when desired. Further, the colour may 50 both of whichare noninjurious to plant life the be obtained or changed by applyingtwo or more organic dye and thelatex or the organic dye and successivecoatings at diflerent periods in the the organic compound incorporatedin the latex growth of the plant. For instance, one coating beingapplied as a coating to the seeds, bulbs, containing at least oneorganic dye may be apg5 tubers and roots in order to impart a colourplied to the roots of a plant, the plant being then allowed to grow fora period of time, in order to allow the substance to pass into the sapthereof. Subsequently, a further coating may be applied to the roots ofthe plant, this further coating containing a different organic dye.

As an example of a coating medium in accordance with the presentinvention the following treatment of a rose tree is given:

The roots of a Lady Sackville rose-tree were treated with a coatingmedium consisting of preserved rubber latex containing 14% solid matterto which 18 drops of the terpene ionone (per grammes of the carrier) hadbeen added. It may be mentioned that three drops. is about theequivalent of one gramme. After this coating had dried, the roots werethen treated a second time with a coating medium consisting of preservedrubber latex containing 14% solid matter to which 1 grammes tartrazineN. S. (yellow) had been added. The rose tree was treated in the month ofNovember and after the coating had dried subsequent to the secondtreatment the rose tree was planted in a pot and kept in a warmatmosphere. The rose tree flowered and produced blooms having a Gloirede Dijon colour and a strong scent. It may be mentioned that anuntreated Lady Sackville rose tree planted at the same time producedwhite blooms having practically no perfume.

As another example of treating a Lady Sackville rose tree the followingtreatment may be carried out.

The roots of the rose tree may be dipped in a coating medium consistingof preserved rubber latex containing 14% solid matter to which six dropsof ionone (per 100. grammes of the carrier) have been added. After thedrying out of the first coating, the roots may be again dipped in acoating medium of the same carrier to which 1 gramme violet R. S.(Coomassie) per 100 grammes of carrier) has been added.

It should be clearly understood that one coating containing a dye may beapplied to the seeds, bulbs, tubers or roots in order to produce orchange the colour of the flowers and that a sec: and coating containingan organic compound which will either impart a perfume or smell to theflowers or change the smell of the flowers produced therefrom may besubsequently applied to the seeds, bulbs, tubers or roots.

In some cases the coating entirely disappears in a relatively shortspace of time and it would appear that part of the coating medium passesinto the seeds, bulbs, tubers or roots, the other part passing into thesurrounding soil. In other cases the basic part of the coating medium,that is the latex or rubber part thereof may remain behind as a skeletonafter the die substance as well as the substance which alters the colourand smell respectively of the flowers or imparts a smell thereto haspassed into the sap of the plant.

It is obvious from the foregoing that one coating or two or morecoatings may be applied to seeds, bulbs, tubers or roots, one coatingmedium containing an organic dye and the second coating or a subsequentcoating containing an organic compound which will alter the smell of theflowers or impart a smell thereto. In the example given the treatment ofthe Lady Sackville rose may for example be separated into two parts. Thefirst coating with the coating medium may be applied for the purpose ofaltering the colour of the rose or the first coating medium may beapplied to impart a perfume or smell to the rose or both actions may beeffected on the rose or other tree in one coating.

The use of the term seeds in the appended cla ms is intended to indicateseeds, bulbs, tubers and roots and is to be so understood.

What I claim is:

1. A method of treating seeds, consisting in applying more than onecoating of preserved latex containing an organic dye and an organiccompound to alter the color and smell of the flowers produced therefrom.

2. A method of treating seeds, consisting in applying thereto more thanone coating of a coating medium comprising synthetic rubber havingincorporated therein tartrazine in order to alter the colour of theflowers produced therefrom.

3. A method of treating seeds, of plants consisting in applying theretoa coating of a coating medium comprising preserved rubber latex havingincorporated therein ionone and tartrazine in order to alter the smelland colour of the flowers produced from the seeds, bulbs, tubers orroots.

4. A coating medium for use in treating seeds, comprising preservedsynthetic rubber having incorporated therein ionone and tartrazine inorder to alter the smell and colour of the flowers of plants to whichthe coating may be applied.

GEORGE EDWARD HEYL.

